REVIEWS 365

Quellenteste zur Witterungsgeschichte Europas won der Zeitwende bis zuni Jahre 1850. Hydrographie: Teil 3 (1601-1700). By C. Weikinn. Berlin (Akademie Verlag), 1961. Pp. 586; list of sources; index. 77 DM.

This is the third volume on hydrography in the series published by the Institute for Physical Hydrography of the German Academy of Sciences. The first two volumes have previously been noticed in this Journal (Q. J., 87, 1961, p. 263). The object of this useful publication is to assemble a very large number of available extracts, deriving from a very wide range of historical documents, with regard to the events affecting the rivers, lakes and coastal waters of Central Europe. Floods, frosts and coastal inundations in Germany, the Low Countries, France and Switzerland are recorded from a great number of local chronicles. Rather more limited reference is made to events in England, Denmark, Italy and other countries. In the index the Elbe is given 73 references, Oder and Saale 50 each, Rhine 48, Loire 32, Seine 25, Po 13 and Thames 10; the Severn not at all. For England, the author’s reading appears to have bzen limited to Lowe and Short. Historians of weather will not find this collection very helpful as far as Britain is concerned: we have many contemporary diaries and other source-material of greater utility. Primarily this work is an assemblage for Central Europe.

Like its predecessors, this volume provides abundant date- and source-material for the student of the effects of the weather manifest in floods, the breaking of the ice, melting of snow, breaches of coastal dykes. Certainly one gains an impression of colder winters; the frequency with which the Seine was frozen at Paris is notable. Yet, as with the Thames, one is led to question the effects of embanking, or of impeded flow. A few extracts beg the question whether events are always properly ascribzd to the present calendar year beginning in January; for example, the flooding of the Ouse at York is quoted from Lowe as occurring in 1614 whereas the very heavy snowfall whose nirlting caused it, took place according to our modern reckoning in 1615.

Some years are outstanding. 1658 for example, with its extremely severe winter, has 27 pages of extracts; so, too, 1651 with its abundance of flooding. By contrast 168-C with its severe winter has only 8 pages, and 1608 has 16 pages. Meteorologists will be able to interpret the fact that in 1652 an exceedingly dry hot summer in Scotland was accompanied by extensive flooding in Germany. Many extracts have their individual interest; for example, in 1634 the sea was frozen off Caen, and ice is said to have lain on the English coast for some miles. Such extracts incline one to the bdief that in the later seventeenth century our seas may have been generally cooler than today. In 1674 the Zuider Zee could still be crossed on the ice in April.

Printing and production are admirably scholarly, and the 33 pages giving an alphabetical index of sources, together with a uszful indzx, provide without doubt a m x t welcome volume for the research worker, and a most commendable adjunct to a well-furnished meteorological library.

G.M.

Atmosphiirische Elektrizitiit, Teil 11, By H. Israel. Leipzig (Akademisch Verlags.), 1961. Pp. x, 503; 211 Figures; 34 Tables. 66 DM.

Since the publication in 1057 of the first part of Professor Israel’s work on atmospheric electricity, workers in the subject have eagerly awaited this second part and there is no cause for disappointment, except perhaps that it has been necessary for the author to select some parts of the subject for more detailed treatment than others. Professor Israel has clearly shown that his own interest is much more strongly in the problems of fair weather rather than of disturbed weather and, out of 416 pages, nearly 300 are devoted to fair weather.

There are four chapters and a large ’ Anhang ’; the chapters deal with fields, charges, currents and a miscellany, whilst the ‘ Anhang ’ includes a section on measurement techniques, several tables, suggestions for decimal classification of atmospheric electricity and a very extensive bibliography with 1,097 entries, t’iough some of these are cross-references under co-authors’ names.

The very complete discussion of variations of potential gradient gives a most satisfactory picture of the phenomena. It is unfortunate that Professor Israel has not been able to be as comprehensive in his treatment of, for example, thunderstorms, and it may be mentioned that the theory of Vonnegut, which has undergone much discussion, in part very critical, has received no attention at all.

T o conform with different systems in use, the formulae are given both in C.G.S. units and in the m-k-s or m-s-V-A system, a very welcome procedure. A less satisfactory feature is that of segregating the measure- ment procedure from the general discussion of the purpose of the measurement and the results.

But even if there are a few matters for criticism, it remains that Professor Israel has produced a most useful volume, for which all workers in the subject will wish to thank him. For those whose knowledge of German is limited, it may be remarked that the language and style are simpler than in some German works.

J.A.C.

Chemical reactions in the lower and upper atmosphere. (Proceedings of International Symposium, Stanford Research Institute, San Francisco, 18-20 April 1961). New York (Interscience Publishers), 1961. Pp. x, 390. k5 - 5 - 0.

Chemical reactions in the atmosphere are being examined ever more intensively in studies concerned with such diverse subjects as city pollution; the origin, properties, and distribution of condensation and